September Events + Men's Retreat and more!
What's Happening at VCOC - September 2025
✨In this Newsletter:
- VCOC Church Events for September 2025
- VCOC Men’s Retreat - Sept 26-28
- Seattle Women’s Retreat - Oct 10-12
- Youth & Family Event - Apple Picking - Sept 20
- Matthew’s Baptism
- Community Announcements
- Prayer Requests
Join us this Sunday - September 7th
This Sunday, September 7th, we'll be meeting at Burnaby South Secondary at 10:00am for a worship service. Come join us! Mark Kang will be preaching.
VCOC Worship September 2025
- September 7th - 10:00am at Burnaby South Secondary Cafeteria
- September 14th - 10:00am at Burnaby South Secondary Cafeteria
- September 21st - House Churches
- September 28th - 10:00am at Burnaby South Secondary Cafeteria (note Men’s Retreat)
Save the Date: December 7th - Christmas Banquet! - more details to follow
-> To view our full calendar for the next few months, please see our
Gatherings page on the VCOC website.
VCOC Men's Retreat 2025 - "Iron - Forged by God, Sharpened Together"
This year we have our very own Mark Kang, who will be speaking. Our theme is "Iron - Forged by God, Sharpened Together" - Let's gather as brothers to forge new relationships and strengthen old ones as we are molded by God into the likeness of Jesus.
Dates: September 26-28, 2025
Location: The Last Resort, Manning Park BC
Registration/Info: https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/10378737
Cost: $150 Early Bird, ends Sept 7th - then cost goes up to $175.
Registration closes Sept 21st.
Seattle Women’s Retreat - “Still Waters”
The Seattle Church of Christ is hosting a Women’s Retreat this October and the VCOC sisters are invited! This retreat will be an opportunity to slow down and follow Jesus into a quieter, more peaceful space. Life can feel so full—busy schedules, constant noise, and the pressure to keep going. But Jesus gently invites us to lay all of that down and come be with Him.
The SCOC has kindly offered the Vancouver sisters a discount as they understand the US$ can present financial challenges. $175US includes lodging, activities, and all meals.
Dates: October 10-12, 2025
Location: Lake Retreat Camp, 27850 Retreat-Kanaskat Rd #101, Ravensdale, WA
Registration/Info: https://www.seattlechurchofchrist.org/events/womens-retreat/2025-10-10
Registration cost: $175 USD (with discount code “Canadian Registration”)
Registration closes Sept 21st
Apple Picking for Families with Pre-School/Primary Aged Children
Date: Saturday September 20th @10am
Location: Willow View Farms (288 McCallum Road, Abbotsford)
Details: Dress for the weather! If it's nice, bring a lunch and we can have a picnic after we pick apples. You can check out their website for more information about the farm.
RSVP by September 15th to Leisal @ (778) 838-5153
Baptisms! - Matthew and Rachel
Our very own Matthew Look got baptized Tuesday August 26th at Barnabas Landing! (Photo: Matthew with parents Mike and Angela).
Also Rachel from campus is getting baptized at Garry Point on Sept 4th, 7pm!!
Community Annoucements
(Reflections from a retreat participant): Our first Rivendell retreat (August 10-12 on Bowen Island) was a spacious time of communion: that with our brothers and sisters, and that with our Lord. During our morning and evening sessions, Jen Slovencik, Ana and Barish Golland brought us together by sharing new contemplative practices such as the daily examen, lectio divina, and the prayer of imagination. We were then given the rest of the day to commune with the Spirit through exploration of the grounds and the surrounding area. Thus we were blessed in two ways: one, given the solitary space to engage our inner lives, and two, the communal space to process our prayers with those around us - and we saw that both are so necessary. During our group times we were amazed to see how the Spirit moved in individual disciples, all of it revealing deeper understandings of His love.
Blood Drive
Tim is organizing another Blood Drive for the VCOC on Saturday Oct 25th. 10 slots are available between 9:30 & 11am. Please contact Tim for more information - 604-908-6266. Current location is Blood clinic at Guilford Surrey.
Prayer Requests
- Please continue to pray for Dave Zayonc who has a brain tumour
- Please continue to pray for Saman, Soudabeh’s brother, who is still being held in Yalova, Turkiye as an Iranian refugee waiting on immigration to process our Sponsorship paperwork we filed back in 2023. We are hoping they will allow him to come here this fall.
